The Community Connection

Grant to help teach fire prevention to students

- By Evan Brandt ebrandt@21st-centurymed­ia.com @PottstownN­ews on Twitter

POTTSTOWN » Firefighte­rs would rather prevent a fire than fight one.

Now, thanks to a check for $1,940 from FM Global insurance, members of the Good Will Fire Company can help teach young children how to prevent disaster.

Rusty Layre, a career firefighte­r with the company, applied the grant “after I heard about it from some other firefighte­rs. We want little kids to know a fire is not something that just happens and they can learn how to prevent them.”

The money will pay for “fire prevent packets” for younger children, ages 3 to 7, said Good Will Chief Kevin Yerger.

The packets include coloring books, crayons, book parks, all of which focus on different fire prevention and fire safety lessons, like conducting escape drills and not playing with matches, lighters or stoves.

“At FM Gobal, we strongly believe in the majority of property damage is preventabl­e, not inevitable,” Michael Spaziani, assistant vice president of the company and manager of its fire prevention grant program, said in a press release. “Far too often, inadequate budgets prevent those organizati­ons working to prevent fire from being as proactive as they would like to be,” Spaziani said. “With additional financial support, grant recipients are actively helping to improve property risk in the communitie­s they serve.”

Visit www.fmglobal.com/fireservic­e to learn more about FM Global’s Fire Prevention Grant Program, and other resources for the fire service.

 ?? EVAN BRANDT — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA ?? From left, Rusty Layre, a career firefighte­r for Good Will Fire Company; Janice K. Clare, an engineerin­g specialist with FM Global insurance; and Kevin Yerger, chief of Good Will Fire Company, hold the recent fire prevention grant award.
EVAN BRANDT — DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA From left, Rusty Layre, a career firefighte­r for Good Will Fire Company; Janice K. Clare, an engineerin­g specialist with FM Global insurance; and Kevin Yerger, chief of Good Will Fire Company, hold the recent fire prevention grant award.

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